ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1627, 4 August 1887, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

... , — «> The ordinary m >nthly meeting of ihn Aahbnrton County Council was held th b morning. Present : Messrs W, O. Walkor (Chairman), O. J Harper, E G, Wright, E. S. Coster, J. Jackson, D. MoL?an, G W. Leadley. chairman's statement. The Chairman Bald : — The Government has promised to pay to the Council's credit, the Bum of £280 7a on account of eubeidiea and aloo to the Mount Somers Tramway account, the balance of the loan, v z £1500 Application has been made for tbe grant of £300 promised by the Government for the construction of thr Blackford andßedoliffa road, the contracts for this work having; been completed. — Since last meeting I received a petition from Mr Hart and others, urging thit tho slaughtering yard near Methven be removed as early as possible I telegraphed to the Mount Hutt Road Board on the day they were sitting, pointing out to *hem they could, aa a Board of Health takeout deal with the matterif they wished. I have received an answer from that Board, also a petition from Mr Hibbs and others, on this subject which will be read j to-dsy. The Committee selected to appoint the two water rangers have made their appointments and will present their reports during the coarse of this sitting — Tbe Counoil should consider the quoatlon of water rangers tor the Forks and Monnt Somera water supplies to-day. The Solicitor's opinion respecting the award made by the Counoil between the Longbeaoh and Coldstream Road Bord*, ai aiked for by the latter Board, has been obtained and will be placed before the I Oonnoil. Representatives from theee Boards wiil wait on the Council to day with reference to the placing of the boundary road under the oharge of one «f these Boards — The amount of rates pad io date is £4771 9s 9d, leaving the buti of £155 15s 7d outstanding. — I notice that the election of Councillors according to the Act is to take plaoe on the 9 h November nt>xt (the Prfode of Wales* birthday), which la an extremely inconvenient day, and I aagaest that the Government should be raked to alfcefc the date. — The Bampstead Town B>ar4 toquests tbe Council to bring into feeoe ike Milk Act throughout the County, and states a deputation intends waiting on tbe Council In connection with the proposed water supply for that district — The Tinwald Town Board applies to the Counoil to clean oat the drain running along the railway made jointly by the Railway Department and the Council. — A circular concerning tbe establishment of a Board of Advice! * n connection with the labor Exchange already m existence will be read at this meeting.— The Upper Ashburton Road Board writes appl> log far shingle pits on Main South road m the plantation reserve to serve portion of road adjacent, and tint open crossings may be substituted, for cnlverti —The Chairman of the meeting of ratepayer*, held at Wakanui to consider the question of river protection forwardi oopy of resolution passed at that meeting for the Council's consideration. ROUTINE A quantity of documents of a routine nature were laid upon the table for the information of Councillors. engineer's report. The Engineer reported aa follows : — Daring the heavy flood which occurred on 6th July last, the northwest approach of the bridge on North Ashburton river at Digby's was washed away to the extent of 125 lineal feet and greater part of the flow m river has since been running through the breach thus caußed. As the damaged portion of tho approach was formed m the riverbed, I. think it would not be advisable to restore the embankment, but to lengthen the bridge on a gradient of 1 m 30 to the extent of at least seven spans of 20 feet or 140 feet m all, and to reduoe the width of roadway to 13 feet on the proposed extension, when two piles m eaoh pier would be Bufiioient. A strong groin would blbo be necessary nearly opposite the point at which the bridge would terminate. The cost 0! new works according to tbe above would mall be about £480. If tbe bridge extension should be made the srme width as the present bridge, and run out on the same level the cost of extension including additional earthwork iv approach would be about £680. Forks Protective Works : At the same time considerable damage was caused to these works more especially near Greenstreet where two of the small groins were earned away, but as the Counoil has already decided that further works there cannot bo undertaken m present circumstances, I have not prepared any detailed estimates of the works necessary for renewals and extensions. Wakanui Proteciive Works : The bulwark successfully resisted the recent flood. It wonld be well now to send a man for a few days to insert some willow stakes m a few of the more exposed portions of the bulwark which had none before. South Approach Ashburton Traffic Bridge : Daring the last three weeks the river has been making considerable inroads on the south bank m the vicinity of the Railway and Road bridge, and as tbe south approaoh of the latter was threatened I have put m the protective work which you authorised there and have also had the vacant plot between tha two bridges scoured and planted up as authorised by the Council. Upper Bangitata Bridge : The repairs and addition to crate at Sooth approach have been completed, whioh will probably prevent farther encroachment there for same time to come. The river might probably be pgrmglfr* ently defleoted from the bank m the vicinity 0! the bridge by the erection of a heavy bodlder embankment aorosa the gully a tittle hicfeet up and extending it for eonro flistenos along the higher ground m the riverbefl near tbe bridge. The total cost would gtob&bly be about £85. Taylor's Stream Bridge : Tho flood of 6th July also slightly damaged the groin on upppr side of Taylor's stream bridge. One of the iron piles is much bent and part of the faeoine work requires to be made up. The groin below the bridge aIBO requires repair. Tbe coßt of restoring both would be about £10. North and South Ashburton River Bridges : All the deoking which it is necessary to replace at present has now been fixed, and there is a small surplus for future repairs. Bridge on Chapman's Creek at Drayton : The carpenter is now preparing to erect this bridge. Bridge for Public Road on Main Drain, Wheatßtone: The necessary renewal of bearer and planks would cost about £5. I presume the Road Board would put m the timber if the Council supplies it. Blackford-Redcliffe Road : All the formation was finished previous to 6th July, the date of flood, which caused several breaches on recently executed work, as also on one of the original contracts near Little River. The Council having already expended the amount of Government grant oannot, of oouse, undertake to repair these breaohes. Plantations : Tenders will be placed before you to-day for cutting fences and also for ploughing near Cracroft. A largo portion of blook planted on Reserve 2591 will require to be renewed. At present the contractor id planting np reserve 2131 and making good tbe plants whioh failed m other plantations 1 last year under his contraot. Plains Water Supply : The supply has been fairly maintained during the month. 1 In some instances during times of flood there appears to be a growing tendency on the part I of ocoupiers to turn flood water into or out of the races as may suit their convenience, and some damage and irregularity has been occasioned thereby. I have instructed the rangers to take strict cognizanoe of all such cases. None of the headworks were damaged by floods, but more than the usual amount of work had to be undertaken to restore tbe channel m river for the auxiliary supply at Springfield, as connections had to be formed more or less over a mile m length. The willow protective work, at inlet of that service was very effective m preventing enoroaohment over the river flat through wbioh the initial main flows. Ashburton— Raogitata Water Supply: With the exception of the short time the South Asbburton head race was blooked, the servioe has been well maintained. Th« ranger for that district has not been able to obtain a house, and he asks the Council to pat ap a small room at Mayfield, which is a suitable centre for the headwoiks m bis diatriot.— The raoes m this dietriob will be shut o£ m rotation, commencing on Jstb met.

Mount Somers Tramway : The three earth. ■work contraotors have eaoh finished thoir oontracts m a satisfactory manner and the raillajing is progressing at fair speed, nearly a mile and a half of it being m position. The birch sleepers are all out, and nearly all delivered. Mount Hardy Creek diversion at Slaughter-, yard : I prepared sections, etc., for this work tut the question is still m abeyance. DIGBYB BBILGB. The clause m the JSnglneer's report on this subject having been readtne Kneinaer was called m and m reply to Councillors Bald that he curd not recommend restoring the embankment at the north west approach to the bridge because he thought anoh a proceeding would be faille. Tho riverbed itnelf had been washed out at the point and was lower now than at nny other part of the bed. The liver was fl >w!ng through the breach and a permanent ohannel hrd been formed . tie did not think there would be any u?e m deviatlßg tho stream into the od bed by scooping beo*une with a flood tho 'troara would go back again. Mr Wright said the last flood was admitted to have been the heavieet alnoo the great flood of 1868 Such another might not occur a%t>\n for a long time and if the earthworks could be restored at a reasonable ooat it would bo better, he thought, than lnoarring a heavy expenditure for a more permanent work. In reply to Mr Wright, tho Engineer ■aid the coot of earthworks would be about £70. Mr Wright thought that by an outlay of £100 the earthwork eonld be dons and tho stream diverted. He thought It would be better to take this meant of dealing with the matter and take their ohance of their. being such an unusually heavy flood, rather thnn incur a heavy outlay In adding to the bridge. After tome discussion it w»o resolved " that Meßsro Wrlgbt, McLean and the Ghairnaan be appointed ay Committee to I visit the Bridge wi'h power to aot m regard to embankment end protective - YOrk, eeri tt they do not art to wpot* #fc next meeting of the Oonndil." WAKANOI PBOTRCTIVB WORKS Ik whb teaolved that wiltows be p?«ntad a? veootamended by the Sngtnoei. riTBR B»I»QItATA BBIDOB. It was decided to forward a copy of the CUflse te the Engineer's report, m trhtoh it was recommended that fatther protective work? at the Upper Rangltata Bridge, should be undertaken, to the Goraldioe County Council, and ask that body if it concurs m the course proposed to bo adopted. taylor's stream bridge, It was resolved that £10 be expendod «s recommended by the Engineer. BRIDGE, WHBATSTONB. It was resolved that £5 be expended m planks for bridge over main drain, Wheatstone, if the Road Board would put m ihs timber. BLACKFOBD BEDOLIFFE BOAD; Resolved that a copy of the Engineer's report be sent to the Government along with estimate of repairing damage, and then an application be made again for grant of £300. — It wbb decided that Messrs Jack bod, Coster, and the Engineer inspect the road. WATER KAKGBF3. Considerable disousoion arosa m regard to tho water ranger's application made through the Engineer's report for a hut to be erected for him at Mayfield. Counclllota 0 >nsidered that- it was an application that they could not be expected to grant. The Council did not care where the rangers lived but it was Imperative that they should properly attend to their duties, Bnd m the men's own Interests it would be beMor"for them to reside near the beadworks <of the races m the)? respective districts. Several councillors complained that m times of fl^od the head works had not been attended to and the races had accordingly surcharged with water, with the result that great damage had been caused. It was resolved on the motion of Mr Harper, seconded by Mr McLean " That the ranger on the south side of Ashburton be specially instructed to tarn eff the water at headworks m time of heavy rain." PLANTATIONS. Resolved that the Engineer* report m regard to plantations be referred to the Plantation Committee. M«THVE*T SLAUGHTER-HOUSE. The Chairman said that it would be remembered that at last meeting he bnd been given tin alternative of choosing between two resolutions passed by the OouduU m regard to the Methven slaughter house. Tho Engineer had estimated the cost of removing the w>ter race at £40, and he was on the point of calling tender* for the work when be received eeveralcommuoioatiuns on the subject, which he lead as follows , :— A. petition from C. Hart, and 21 others, praying the Council not to shift the water race bat to take steps to have the slaughter house removed. Letter from Mount Hutt Road Board m reply to lette* from the Council, stating that if the Council had derided not to grant a renewal of the license aa long as the slaughter house remained where it is, there wonld be no ocoasioa to shift tbe w^ter pace. > Petition from J, Hibb% and 43 othew, ptoStoQ (fee OXivm ao% to efiOt tto Bfeughter bonae no\r as ft» Btorgaa kite propiyletoJ? vafe away but weald be back fa Jantuiy when m vouM be flWo to 660UA « fresh ette> Mr 3, Baker afeo \rroie fritting Kurt tie *eil hi whfeb refoto Batt formerly fc&ft thrown fed vfieteh was tfce st^Ject of complain* had been fitted tip and he had had a concrete tank made mKb plaoe. He courtfd tho fullest Investigation and claimed t^at the slaughter house was the cleanest and Host appointed m the county. Considerable discussion of a conversational charact r nrose m regard to the question and it was ultimately resolved that the matter bo still left m the hands of the Chairman. WAT HI RiNQPRB. The committee which had been appointed to consider the applications for the position of water rangers repotted that thote cf Messrs Orai^head and Morrieon had been accepted for the Aahburtcn-Rnngitata and AshbartonRakaia districts respectively. The committee had requested the Engineer to see that each ranger, m taking up his new appointment make arrnrgementß for residing at a convenient distance from the headworka of eaoh system of water races. The roport fras adopted. I'AYMENIS. Accounts were passed for payment. A REQUEST. Mr E. Chapman asked the Council to undertake a email work necessary to prevent the exceßsive scour of the water raoe passing through his garden. The Oounoil regretted that it could not ace its way to comply with tho request. EXCESS Or WATBB. Mr W. Lyttelttn, Rokeby, wrote drawing the Council's attention to the fact that a good deal of damage was being done him by an overflow m E 2 race, caused through a pipe leading across the road being too email to carry the water comlDg down the race It was decided to inform Mr JLytteltcn that the water will be regulated m future so as to do him no damage. DRAIN. The Tinwald Town Board wrote drawIng the attention of the Council to the state of the drain rnnning along the railway line and requesting that it be oleaued out as serious Inconvenience was being caused owing to the stoppage of water. The drain bad been made jointly by the Council and the Bail tray Department, but the Council did not oonsider Itself bound to clean this or similar drains and it was resolved that a reply to tbia effect be forwarded to tbe Tovpa Board.

DRAIN AT WASANUI. Mr S. Wright again wrote In regard to the drain between his and. Mr M. Wilson's properties bat the Council decided that it could not Interfere, and if Mr Wright took any aotlon it would be at hta own risk. ENCROACHMENT Hoa W. S. Peter wrote, Beating that the pfera of the water rnco flume over the Houth Hinds diverted the water to his side, the result beiug that with every flood a considerable portion of the fl it waa carried away. The Engineer Btatod that the piers of the flaming had nothing to do with diverting j the curreut. It was resolved to reply that the damage oompla'ned of by Mr Peter wan not caused by the Council's works. AX UNSATISFIED AWARD The Coldatronm Road Board wrote stating that the award between that and the Longbeach Koad Board had not boen onrriod out so far as regarded the payment directed to bo made to the former ou account of the share awarded them of the Road Board office reserve and the buildings thereon. The Ooldstream Road Board therefore requested the Council ro cause the properly m question to be sold and the proceeds to bs paid over to the two Boards m proportion to their interest therein as already determined by the , Counoll The Council's solicitor wrote In regard ito the matter. His opinion was that under the circumstances of the award the Council hid no power to comply with the request of the Ooldstream Road Board, It was deoldsd to forward a oopy of the solicitor's letter to the Ooldstrem Road Board. BODNDABY BOAD. Mr John Grigg, Chairman of the Longbeaoh Road Board, waited on the Council m reference to the question of the control of the road which formed the boundary batwesn the Longbeaoh and Ooldstresm Road Districts. The Ooldstream Board bad applied for the control of that road but ho t&oqghi ifkere vere strong reasons why It should be vested hi the Longbeach Board. The river Hinds wan encroaching on that road and If there ohonld be an overflow great damage would be caused to land situated within the Longbeach Road district. It would thns be leen that the Longbeaoh Road Bjatd waa very much interested In the question of river prot^'toon at this point while the Oold»tfeam Bori was not at bII, Besides, the Ooldetream Road Board had now the control of the same road on the upper side of the river. Mr Wright, the Chairman of the OoldBtroam Road Board, stated that Mr Grigg was under a misapprehension. The Coldstream Road Board had not applied for the control of the road m question, but had merely requested the Council to determine m which Road Board the control should be vested. At present the road wan a sort of no-man's-land and had fallen into a state of disrepair. He quite recognized the fact that the Longbeach Road Board was interested m the question of protection from . the river at this point, and as Chairman of the Ooldetream Board, he wa3 not prepared to offer any objection to the control being handed ovor to the body which Mr Qrlgg represented.— lt wm resolved that Ihe control of the road m question be handed over to the Longbeaoh Road Board. WAKANCI PROTECTIVE "WOBKS. Mr G. W. Leadloy, the Chairman of the public meeting held at Wakanui on Monday night, forwarded a oopy of resolution carried at that meeting to the effect that the Oounoil and Wakanui Road Board should allow, their engineers to consult and draw up a plan aod estimate of cost of what they considered the moat effective mode of dealing with the subject of river enoroaohment. Mr W. Jamison and a number of others wrote urging the Oounoil to take steps to have all natural w&ter oourses opened up bo- that storm and overflow water might eseßpe, Mr D. Wilson waited on the Council In reference to the eubioot. He said that In consequence of the gullies and natural water oourses having been fenced aoross aid blocked, oveiflow and storm water was nnable to escape and great damage therefore resulted. He asked the Council to oompel occupiers to remove all obstructions that had been placed m natural water ooarsea and then the water would be able to escape without causing damage to anyone. The Council informed Mr Wilson that it would look Into the matter of his appreciation and see what could be done. BHINGLB PJT3. An application by the Upper Ashburton Road Board was granted subject to certain oonditlons. IUNOITATA ROAD STOPPAGE The Committee which had been appointed to consider this subject, reoomtrended the Counoll to olose the road as shown by amended map* from R.S. 27,783 to 8.8. 32,801 and did not recommend the dosing of the other road on the plan. The report was adopted. SroBM WATER. The Mount Huttßoad Board complained of an overflow of water from the storm water channel through the Mount Bird* I log e^*** an<^ w hlch was doing oonaider«ftfc dbtOßgQ A the tovaehlp of Methven. 1 BIL3 AUB. ! The Battptftesd Town Board requested the Ooaaoil to bring the Milk Act (?) ; Into force throughout the whole of Ash- ! eutton ooonty. j Ifcw»B resolved that the Town Board ibe informed that It was neoesaary for them as a local Board of Health to make their Application to the Government direct, WHEATSrONE DRAIN. j Mr W. Prebble wrote asking the Council to clean out the "Wheatstone drain. It was resolved tbat the matter be attended to. AN EXPENMVB TtOAD. The letterfrom ihe Mount Somers Road Board, requesting tlu Oounoil to assist In the maintenance of a main road through the district, consideration of which was deferred at last meeting now came up for discussion. The position ie appeared was this : Before the origirftl Road Board had been subdivided the cost of maintenance of the road In question was easily borno, but the district was now a much smaller one, and the traffic on »ho road, much of oourse from other districts ao heavy that aotually half the entire annual rate of the whole district was requirod to maintain it. The ward system had boen resolved to be adopted, and of course tbe unfortunate ward ie which the road happened to bo, was totally unable to bear the cost of maintenance. It was pointed out that there were many parts of the county m a similar manner, for instance the Tinwald Town District m regard to the Main South road, and Hampstead m regard to the Beach and Wakaoui roada Mr Wright thought the only way out of the difficulty was to constitute all these main roads County roads. After Borne considerable discussion, Mr Jackson moved, •• That the sum of £100 be voted to the Mount Somers Road Board for maintenance of the roud from the North Ashburton Bridge to the Mount Soraere railway Btation " Mr McLean seconded the motion, which on being put to tho mooting wan lost. WATER RANGJSB. It was resolved that tho Chairman arrange for a water ruoger for the Mount Somorß and Forks Districts. SLAUGHTEIUKG LICENSE A slaughtering license was granted W. T. Chapman, Alford Forest. MliL BACK. Mr Haiper moved •• That the Engineer bo requested to report at the next meeting of the Oounoil on the method adopted at present to take the water from the Ashburton to supply Tamer's Mill aod the

water races below ; and whether, In his opinion, any damage to Und »<3j*cent is attributable to tho stream being diverted for such purposes." He said that he had been induced to move m. thia direction because of persons having said that the method of taking the water from the river for the mill stream had caused the river to Bet m to the bank, and accordingly worked considerable damage. Althoogh he did not think that this was the case it would be as well for the Oounoil to have the Engineer's opinion. Tho motion wan seconded by Mr McLean and carried. Tho Oounoil the adjourned till September 2.